Bible Reading and Commentary Thoughts for April 2023
316Judith
Posts: 11,666 Member
Bible Reading
Matthew chapter 5
Key verse 16
Closing Commentary:Personal Prayer:
A Prayer . . . to Shine
Heavenly Father, work in my life in such a way that people will see you shining forth. Help me to break free from the selfishness and sin that prevent me from being conformed to your image and expressing your holiness. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Matthew chapter 5
Key verse 16
Closing Commentary:Personal Prayer:
A Prayer . . . to Shine
Heavenly Father, work in my life in such a way that people will see you shining forth. Help me to break free from the selfishness and sin that prevent me from being conformed to your image and expressing your holiness. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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Replies
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Bible Reading
Psalm 94:19
Numbers -3:26-33
Commentary Focus: By Tony Evans
When the twelve spies reported back to Moses, all but Caleb and Joshua were spouting doubt (Numbers 13:26–33). They were outnumbered ten to two, but they still believed in God’s power. Let’s take our cue from Caleb.1 -
Bible Reading:
Galatians 5:22-23
Closing Commentary Thought:
Here is something that helps me stay in step with the Spirit. We know that the “fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22–23 nasb). God’s Spirit creates and distributes these characteristics. They are indicators on my spiritual dashboard. So whenever I sense them, I know I am walking in the Spirit. Whenever I lack them, I know I am out of step with the Spirit.
To walk in the Spirit, respond to the promptings God gives you.1 -
Bible Reading
1 Peter 1:20
Galatians 4:4
Acts 2:23
Daniel 5:21
Psalm 75:7
Jeremiah 30:24
Ephesians 1:11
Commentary Closing Thoughts
By Max Lucado
The Discovery That Changes Everything
You are in the hands of a living, loving God. Random collection of disconnected short stories? Far from it. Your life is a crafted narrative written by a good God, who is working toward your supreme good.
God is not slipshod or haphazard. He planned creation according to a calendar. He determined the details of salvation “before the foundation of the world” (1 Peter 1:20).
The death of Jesus was not an afterthought, nor was it Plan B or an emergency operation. Jesus died “when the set time had fully come” (Galatians 4:4 niv), according to God’s “deliberate plan and foreknowledge” (Acts 2:23 niv).
God isn’t making up a plan as he goes along. Nor did he wind up the clock and walk away. “The Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will” (Daniel 5:21 esv).
He “executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another” (Psalm 75:7 esv). “The Lord will not turn back until he has executed and accomplished the intentions of his mind” (Jeremiah 30:24 esv).
Look at those verbs: God rules, sets, executes, accomplished.
These terms confirm the existence of heavenly blueprints and plans. Those plans include you. “In him we were also chosen, . . . according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will” (Ephesians 1:11 niv).
This discovery changes everything!1 -
Palm Sunday
What difference can a narrow road make?
The steep descent of the Mount of Olives that faces Jerusalem follows a narrow road with high walls on either side. The high wall to the right encloses the grounds of the Dominus Flevit Church.
The small chapel and its Latin name memorialize the moment “the Lord wept” over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41), and the roof of the chapel resembles the shape of an inverted teardrop.
Inside the church, the altar on the right has a large window that frames the city of Jerusalem.
The window has decorative wrought iron bars that depict elements of Jesus’ Passion Week—a cup, thorns, and a cross. The capstone above the window has a stone relief of Jesus riding a donkey with His face in His hands—weeping.
Staring out the window with the iron cross in it, we can see the city over which the Lord wept.
Looking out the window is like gazing through a porthole of time. We cannot see Jerusalem without also seeing the cross. Neither could Jesus when He rode down the Mount of Olives on Palm Sunday.
Leaving the high walls of the Dominus Flevit Church, we cross the steep road to see another high wall on the other side. Behind this wall lies a vast Jewish graveyard—the largest in the world.
Literally thousands of white tombs on the hillside give testimony to the Jewish belief that the Messiah has not yet come—and the hope that when He does, “His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives” (Zechariah 14:4). Those buried there hope to stand first in line for a blessing.
Although the Messiah will indeed raise all people from these graves, not everyone resurrected will rejoice in His presence (Daniel 12:2; Revelation 20:11–15). Where our physical bodies rest does not affect our salvation. Rather, Jesus’ words to Nicodemus remain God’s standard for entrance into His kingdom: “You must be born again” (John 3:7).
The two high walls on either side of the road that descends the Mount of Olives offer a summary of what Jesus would find in people’s hearts during His Passion Week. On one side, the high wall around the Jewish cemetery guards the hope that the Messiah will come one day. On the other side, the wall around the Dominus Flevit Church guards the belief that He has already come—but was rejected.
Only a narrow, steep road separates these two walls. But the distance between them is eternal.1 -
Bible Reading:
Mark 11:12-33
Commentary Thoughts:
Theme: Passion Week in the Holy Land
Monday of Passion Week
Sometimes what we expect isn’t what we get.
Monday of Passion Week proved that way for Jesus.
After His Triumphal Entry the day before on Palm Sunday, Jesus entered the Temple area in Jerusalem and found the Court of the Gentiles—the area for Gentiles to worship God—filled with markets and moneychangers.
The next day, Jesus returned to Jerusalem via the Mount of Olives, as He did the day before. He saw a fig tree in leaf, which typically indicated that it would have unripe figs to eat. But the tree offered only leaves. No fruit for breakfast. So Jesus cursed the tree. His disciples heard Him.
After that, He and His apostles entered the Temple area. Jesus began to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and He overturned the tables of the money-changers. The book of Mark tells us:
“And He began to say to them, ‘Is it not written, My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations?’ But you have made it a ‘robbers’ den.’” (Mark 11:17)
Mondays are tough for most folks. Was that all it was for Jesus—just a bad morning? Of course not. So, why did Jesus curse the tree for having no fruit on it—and then get so heated in the Temple? The answer was the same for both.
Jesus cursed the tree, not in a fit of anger, but in order to represent what He had seen the day before in the Jewish leaders and in the Temple.
There was no good fruit present in the leaders of Israel when all indications suggested otherwise.
Plenty of leaves, for sure, but nothing of substance.
Only a few days later, Jesus would tell His disciples that He chose them for a particular reason. He said,
“You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain” (John 15:16).
Jesus desires the same for us. He comes to us and wants to find us fruitful, not just leafy. In fact,
He said that’s why He chose us—to bear fruit that would remain. The lives of the religious always bear leaves but not always fruit. When Jesus looks at our lives, He wants to find our faith lived out in authenticity.
May our lives today offer Jesus more than fig leaves!1 -
Tuesday and Wednesday of Passion Week
Tuesday of Passion Week was a busy day for Jesus. He spent the bulk of His time at the Temple, debating with the Jewish leaders.
He told a parable of a vineyard owner who has tenants who aren’t producing fruit with the vineyard. In fact, Jesus’ parable has overtones from Isaiah 5:1–7 where the Lord uses a vineyard as a metaphor for Israel—a context in which God did all He could to make it fruitful and He expected it to bear fruit—but it didn’t.
Jesus, of course, knew full well the implication of using this parable. (In fact, Jesus implied the same thing the day before with the fruitless fig tree.) Jesus asked the obvious question: “What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vine-growers, and will give the vineyard to others” (Mark 12:9). Rejecting Christ results in loss of life and privilege of participation.
The word for “owner” is literally “lord” in Greek.
That word can be translated a number of ways depending on the context.
But Jesus goes on to quote from Psalm 118, where “Lord” clearly means God. Putting it all together, the “stone which the builders rejected” is the “beloved son” that was killed by the vine growers. The rejected stone became the chief cornerstone. Once rejected, but later made most prominent.
Did the religious leaders rejoice at Christ’s wonderful, true words that Tuesday of Passion Week? Hardly!
The religious leaders were looking to get rid of Jesus because He spoke the parable against them (Mark 12:12).
In other words, because He spoke the truth about them. In fact, the whole of the next day, Wednesday of Passion Week, is summed up by the religious leaders plotting to murder Jesus (Matthew 26:1-5, Mark 14:1-2, Luke 22:1-2; John 11:47-53).
Present rejection. Future vindication. The same is true of us who follow Christ. Are you struggling with an incident that demands vindication? Right now, of course, it doesn’t seem to be a wonderful outcome. But it will one day be “marvelous in our eyes” (Mark 12:11).
And it will be a full vindication. Remember Jesus. It was the resurrection of Jesus that vindicated
Him (Acts 4:8–12).
The same will be true of us.1 -
Bible Reading:
Psalm 40:3
John 13:10
Commentary Thoughts:
A New Song
God places a song in the hearts of his children. A song of hope and life. “He has put a new song in my mouth” (Psalm 40:3). Some saints sing this song loud and long every single day of their lives. In other cases the song falls silent. Life’s hurts and happenings mute the music within. Long seasons pass in which God’s song is not sung.
I want to be careful here. Truth is, we do not always know if someone has trusted God’s grace.
A person may have feigned belief but not meant it. Judas is an example of one who seemed to have been saved but in truth was not. For three years he followed Christ. While the others were becoming apostles, he was becoming a tool of Satan. When Jesus said, “You are clean, though not every one of you” (John 13:10 niv), he was referring to Judas, who possessed a fake faith.
Whether or not someone’s faith is real isn’t ours to know. But we know this: where there is genuine conversion, there is eternal salvation. Our task is to trust God’s ability to call his children home.
We join God as he walks among his wayward and wounded children, singing.
Eventually his own will hear his voice, and
something within them will awaken. And when it
does, they will begin to sing again.1 -
Bible Reading;
Isaiah 53:1-12
Isaiah 6:9
Commentary Thoughts by Tony Evan’s
This great prophet to the southern kingdom of Judah blazed onto the scene to describe the condition of this kingdom that was going down spiritually and headed toward disaster. He calls on the people to repent and get right with God, telling them that though their sins were like scarlet, they could be as white as snow.
The classic passage in this book is chapter 6, Isaiah’s official call to his prophetic task, when he saw the Lord in all of His majestic holiness. That call came in a bad year, when good King Uzziah died. That meant Judah’s human hope to set things right was gone, but Isaiah learned that even in times like that the Lord was still on His throne and still in control.
Isaiah is a long book because it deals with two great sweeps of time—the days in which the prophet lived and the time yet to come when the Messiah returns and establishes His kingdom of righteousness.
That’s why Isaiah 53 is such a precious chapter, telling us of the Messiah, the Suffering Servant, who would bear our sins and someday rule as King. The message of Isaiah to us today is to adjust the way we live so that when the King returns, we can enter into the Kingdom full speed ahead because we have prepared ourselves for it by living according to God’s righteous standards.1 -
Bible Reading
Jeremiah 29:11
Commentary thoughts
Jeremiah has been called the “weeping prophet” because of the sheer weight of emotion he brought to his prophetic role. As judgment we being prepared for the sinful kingdom of Judah through the Babylonian empire, Jeremiah was called to announce the rightness of that judgment because of Judah’s great sin against God.
It was Jeremiah’s daunting task to bring this message of rejection to God’s people. In the midst of this negative message, Jeremiah issued a call to the people to repent. Repent so that they wouldn’t be in the current situation, and a call to the people who would not be taken into captivity to repent, in order to avoid things getting worse. Instead, repenting would aide things getting better for them.
Jeremiah was commanded by God not to marry as an illustration of the isolation God was feeling from His sinful people. And yet, it is in Jeremiah that God reveals a new covenant He is going to make with His people. A covenant to cleanse them, give them new hearts, and restore them to Himself. The good news of Jeremiah is that despite our sin, God offers us restoration if we will repent and return to Him.1 -
Bible Reading
Lamentations 3:21-23
Commentary Thoughts: Major Prophet Books by Tony Evans
This is a sad book, written by the “weeping prophet” Jeremiah, during a sad time. The book’s name means “to express deep sorrow.” The Babylonians had attacked Jerusalem and brought an end to the southern kingdom of Judah. Many of the people of Israel had been taken into captivity, while others had fled.
Lamentations is the expression of the pain of sin’s consequences. So what we hear and read are the tears of the prophet as he saw destruction all around him. Yet, in the middle of all the pain and the sorrow, Jeremiah highlighted the faithfulness of God. First, there was God’s faithfulness in His warning that if His people departed from Him, He would bring judgment upon them.
But Lamentations is also about the faithfulness of hope (3:21–23), because God’s mercies would be seen even in the midst of judgment. The message of this book is that the rays of God’s mercy can be seen even amid the sadness, and that if His people will return to Him with repentance, He will return to them and limit, or even reverse, the consequences of their disobedience.
Lamentations is a reminder that sin brings pain and tears, but God is always ready to show His mercy when we repent and come back to Him.1 -
Bible Reading:
Ezekiel 1:1-28
Commentary Thoughts:
The book of Ezekiel records the prophet’s message to the people in the southern kingdom of Judah, now incarcerated in Babylon because of their rebellion against God. The theme of the book is the glory of God, which had to depart from the temple in Jerusalem because of the people’s sin—which meant that His manifest presence was no longer in their midst.
But Ezekiel also prophesied of a coming restoration in chapters 40–48. The regathering of God’s people would occur with the coming of Messiah to establish His kingdom, which we know as the future 1,000-year reign of Jesus Christ called the millennial kingdom.
The prophet wanted God’s people to know that as bad as things were during their captivity, God still had a plan, and would keep His covenant promises despite their rebellion and the consequences they were enduring. Ezekiel called on the people to have faith in God even in the discipline of the captivity.
Ezekiel also foretold than the glory of God would return when the Messiah reigns—that glory being centered in Him. We learn from this book that the glory of God is His greatest purpose, and that when we live for His kingdom‘s purpose, His glory, His manifest presence, is made real to us and to the world.1 -
Bible Reading:
Daniel chapters:
2:44
7:9
12:3
Commentary Thoughts:
The book of Daniel is about how God’s people are to live in the times of the Gentiles. Daniel was one of the first exiles to Babylon, where the Jews fell under Gentile domination because of their sin and rebellion against God.
Daniel’s book is designed to teach the Jews how the entire period of Gentile rule—from Daniel’s day to the coming of Messiah to set up his kingdom—should be viewed as God used the nations to bring judgment and discipline to Israel. In his own life, Daniel also illustrated how the people of God were to live, showing what faithfulness to God looked like even when undergoing His discipline.
This book not only deals with prophecy, but also with prayer, a vision, spiritual warfare—all of which teaches that God’s people are under His sovereignty even when circumstances on Earth do not appear to be in their favor.
Daniel shows that the God of Heaven is ruling on Earth, even when Earth seems to be out of control. This is something earthly rulers like Nebuchadnezzar had to learn. This is a kingdom book, because it shows that Heaven rules Earth as God’s kingdom rules and overrules one human kingdom after another.1 -
Bible Reading:
John 3:1-14
A New Birth
Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3)
While sitting in a hospital waiting room, I noticed a break in the background music playing. Suddenly, a short refrain of Brahms’s “Lullaby” sounded throughout the building. This tune plays whenever a baby is born.
What a lovely way to celebrate the arrival of a new person! This “physical birth” is how we all entered this world—but it’s not the only birth we need.
Jesus spoke to the necessity of new birth; without it, no one can see the kingdom of God. When Nicodemus expressed his confusion, Jesus explained that he was speaking about spiritual birth, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit “ (v. 6).
Jesus alluded to his death when he would be “lifted up” on the cross (v. 14). Those who believe in him would have eternal life because of his death on their behalf. Their faith would demonstrate their new, spiritual birth into God’s kingdom.
Being “born again” is a phrase we often associate with conversion and salvation. Jesus makes it clear that this is a work of God in our lives—a spiritual birth that makes us new. Paul explained it this way: “The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God” (2 Cor. 5:17-18). God has given us new life through a new birth.
As you pray, ask God to help you glorify him with the new life he has given you.1 -
Romans 12:1-13
A New Mind
But be transformed by the renewal of your mind . . . (Romans 12:4)
Whether we make New Year’s resolutions or not, we all know change is one of the hardest things to attempt to do. Habits and behaviors become deeply ingrained in our psyche, and changing our thinking patterns is especially difficult. Sometimes I have wished I could just “wipe the slate” of my mind and start from scratch to put new habits in place. Still, change is possible—especially when we consider God has given us a renewed mind in Christ.
In Romans 12, Paul describes how this renewed mind should change us. When we are transformed by a renewed mind, we will not think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think. We will respect others’ gifts and contributions to the “one body in Christ”—the church (Romans 12:4-5). A renewed mind allows us to love and honor our brothers and sisters in Christ. We will look for practical ways to help others through generosity and hospitality. In short, a renewed mind keeps us from being self-absorbed; instead, we will focus on others.
There are so many great “habits” listed in this passage to cultivate and ingrain into our character! And these new habits are possible because God has given us a renewed mind—the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). It’s all part of being able to discern “what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2)—the will of God for our lives.
As you pray, ask God to transform you by renewing your mind.1 -
Bible Reading:
Romans 8:1-25
A New Family
You have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15)
Jesus once told his followers, “Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life” (Matt. 19:29). While this promise of blessing is completely fulfilled in eternity, we get a taste of it now as God brings us into his own family and assures us that we are not only his children but his heirs!
As God gives us new hearts and new minds and fills us with his Holy Spirit, that Spirit testifies that we are children of God. Paul calls this the “Spirit of adoption” (Rom. 8:15). As members of God’s family, we seek to put to death the flesh’s sins and follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in our lives. Being adopted by the Father makes us heirs of the kingdom—fellow heirs with Christ Jesus, our brother. That inheritance is coming; even creation itself groans for the day when our redemption will be fully revealed because then all things will be freed from death and corruption.
What a family inheritance that will be! Verse 18 reminds us that our present sufferings are not worth being compared to the glory to be revealed to us. It’s a legacy bought with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, an inheritance “kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4).
As you pray, rejoice that you are God’s child and an heir of the kingdom!1 -
2 Kings chapters 6 to 8
No commentary Thiughts today1 -
Psalm 133:1-3
The Sweet Sound of Harmony
Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore. Psalm 133:1-3, ESV
One of my very favorite things to do is to walk. It’s especially nice to walk early in the morning before the world has come to life. Typically, it’s quiet when I take my strolls. Most days, I don’t even listen to music or podcasts. Instead, I enjoy the peace and the stillness of the moment.
Peaceful. Harmonious. Quiet. Stillness.
Most of us love these words. Yet we live in a world that is rarely any of these things. So often, to turn on the news is to be bombarded with chaos, noise, violence, fighting, crime, and a huge lack of harmony in our world. We may be living in one of the least harmonious times in recent history. There is not a lot of harmony around us these days.
God didn’t create us to live at odds with others. Instead, God loves it when brothers and sisters dwell together in unity. Harmony is like fresh anointing oil and the first dew of the day.
Harmony is a sweet blessing from God and to God. He designed us to live in harmony. So, let’s invite Him to build more harmony into our lives today.
Prayer – Father, I ask You to show me how to live a good and pleasant life – dwelling with my brothers and sisters in unity. Reveal to me today ways I am not promoting peace and building better relationships.
Reflect - What does harmony look like in your life? Are there any people who make it difficult for you to live in unity? Is there anyone making peacefulness is hard for you?1 -
Ephesians chapter 6
Focus on verse 2
Could You Share the Load?
Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2, ESV
All of the walls in our little apartment were a very light tan. Bland. Uninteresting. Boring.
One of my friends suggested I pick out some bright, happy colors and give the place a fresh coat of paint. And she offered to pitch in and help.
For an entire day, my friend helped me tape off windows and doors, add a coat of Kilz, and then add a couple of coats of paint to the walls of that master bedroom. When the work was complete, we had the most wonderful green bedroom. It was just beautiful.
Doubling the help doubled the fun and lightened my load as we painted. I could have completed the project by myself, but having someone to work alongside me made everything much better and more enjoyable. Susan, my friend, shared the load that day and helped to bear my painting burden. I was so grateful for her kind service.
What might this look like in your life today? Who, in your sphere of influence, could use a helping hand? It doesn’t have to be grand or expensive. It can be a simple task.
Maybe you could …
Offer to babysit for a young mom
Drop by or call an elderly friend who lives alone
Take a meal to someone who is sick (Chick-Fil-A counts!)
Text a friend who has been on your mind
Mow someone else’s yard or take their trashcans to the curb
Send a card or a note in the mail
Prayer– Lord, would you make me more aware and sensitive today to the needs and the burdens around me? If You show me, I will be faithful to reach out and lend a helping hand.
Reflect – Spend a few moments brainstorming ways you can lighten the loads of those around you. Who can you help? Serve? Encourage? Support? Now, do at least one kind act for someone else today.1 -
Bible Reading Today:
Romans 12:1-16
Focusing on verse 16.
Commentary Thoughts:
Know Any “Know-It-Alls”?
Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Romans 12:16, ESV
Do you know any “know-it-alls”? Or maybe someone who thinks they know it all. It could be one of your children, the lady at church, your nosy neighbor, the mom in the carpool line, or the guy who constantly interrupts in Bible study class.
None of us like “know-it-alls,” but have you noticed we can all be “know-it-alls” at times? I can be one. You can be one too. We all have the propensity to get a little proud on certain topics and feel the need to interject our great wisdom.
Whether we mean to or not, all of God’s children have to guard against being a little wise in our own eyes.
What’s the cure for thinking a little too highly of ourselves? Humility.
What’s the cure for dealing with others who get haughty with us? Love them, be patient with them, and pray for them.
Why do these things? Because we are never more like Christ than when we live in humility and don’t share everything we know.
It’s a fact: when I really “know-it-all” about something, I don’t have to expound, push my way to the front, or get loud. I can rest in the fact I understand and wait for others to ask for my opinion. (It almost always works better this way-especially with my adult children.)
Prayer– Oh, Father, You know it all! You are the only Person who does! Give me the grace to deal with others in humility. I want to be more gentle and less pushy today.
Reflect– Think about how you typically deal with others – at work, at church, in your family. Are you a know-it-all? Do you often have to express your opinion and your wisdom? Or are you more humble, willing to let others share what they know?1 -
Bible Reading
Ephesians 4:1-32
Key Verse: Verses 22 to 24
A New Lifestyle
To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life . . . (Ephesians 4:22)
Last year my youngest daughter, Meredith, adopted a dog that had spent a long time in the animal shelter. The grateful dog was enthusiastic in her love for both Meredith and her new home!
Still, she had some bad habits from the shelter and needed to be “socialized” for her new life as a pampered pooch.
Meredith is patiently loving and training her dog, helping her become the pet she was meant to be.
Likewise, we carry some baggage from our former way of life—the sins we committed before trusting in Christ. Paul reminds us we must no longer live like the ungodly people of this world, ignorant of God’s Word.
We must take off our “old self” and put on the “new self,” which follows God’s righteous ways (vv. 20-24).
That means a lifestyle of honest work and truthful communication.
We want to build others up with our words, not tear them down. Anger and bitterness are set aside; kindness and forgiveness are embraced.
The changes needed to live this way of life don’t happen overnight! God is patiently loving and leading us by his Holy Spirit, working within us and through us to walk as his obedient children.
We have been forgiven of much; let us then “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (v. 32).
As you pray, ask God to help you put off the old self and put on the new.1 -
Today my reading:
Proverbs 14
key verse: Verse 14
Righteousness exalts a nation
But our sin is a reproach to any people.
Judges 17 to 19
Psalm 51
Luke 18:24-43
No Commentary today!
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Bible Reading:
Exodus 14:13-31
Exodus 15:22-25
Commentary Thoughts from Todays Scripture: by Tony Evans
Israel’s sin was revealed by a “test” (Exodus 15:22-25).
It’s ironic to note that their immediate crisis, a lack of water, came directly after an astounding miracle that God worked through water.
Three days after Israel’s deliverance through the waters of the Red Sea, the people were stumbling through a dry desert, unable to find a water source to assuage their thirst. When the Israelites at last came upon water at a site called Marah, they found that it was bitter, polluted, and unfit for drinking. This point of crisis for Israel was defined in the text as the place where God “tested” them (Exodus 15:25).
Unfortunately for Israel, the test scores presented by these bitter waters of Marah revealed equally bitter and untrusting hearts on the part of God’s people: “So the people grumbled at Moses, saying ‘What shall we drink?’” (Exodus 15:24). The Israelites had just observed and celebrated what God could do with water when he held back the Red Sea, so why did Israel doubt God’s ability to provide for them?
Much like the Israelites, it does not take long for any of us to forget what God can do because it does not take long for us to forget what God has done. Our hearts are sin sick and afflicted with a disease of distrust in God, and when we are faced with the immediacy of our needs, we quickly forget the long story of God’s mighty acts of deliverance and provision on our behalf.
The real miracle at Marah is that in spite of Israel’s distrust and bitter grumbling, God still provided for them by purifying the brackish waters: “The Lord showed him [Moses] a tree; and he threw it into the waters, and the waters became sweet” (Exodus 15:25).0 -
Bible Reading:
James 1:19-20
Commentary Thoughts:
Sorry to Interrupt
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. James 1:19-20, ESV
It was a Wednesday morning, and we were making our first turn on the three-mile walk. My friend, Terri, shared a story with me as we strolled. I mostly nodded, trying to be interested in the conversation, but I would also interject a comment here and there, trying to be an “active” listener.
After a few minutes, my walking buddy stopped. She looked at me and asked me to stop interrupting her. Honestly, I didn’t even realize that I was. I was not a patient and a good listener in my excitement to see her and catch up on life. I was not slow to speak. (I’m working on this!)
Maybe you can relate?
It’s hard, at times, to be a good listener. To be a person who is quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to get angry is to be like our Savior, but these are not always easy traits for us to emulate, especially if we are more extroverted.
Are you an interrupter? Ask God to show you and help you as you work on this issue.
Are you a great listener? We love you and are so grateful for you!
Are you somewhere in between? God can work with you to get better as well!
Prayer – Lord, thank You for creating me as You have. Would you grow me, mature me, and make me a better friend and listener? I want to be more and more like Jesus.
Reflect – Think about the conversation styles mentioned in today’s devotion. Be candid with yourself as you consider: Are you quick or slow to hear? Are you quick or slow to speak? Are you quick or slow to anger?0 -
My Bible Reading:
Jeremiah 8:22
Exodus 15:26
Commentary Thoughts: by Tony Evans
The cure for Israel’s sin sickness was obedience to the Word of the Lord. For Israel to be spared from the diseases/plagues of the Egyptians, they were required to
“Give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes” (Exodus 15:26).
After the euphoria of celebrating God’s mighty deliverance from the Red Sea had dissipated, God wanted to know whether Israel would be obedient to His commands even when struggling through the wilderness. The key to healing Israel’s sin-sick hearts was found in obedience to God’s commands and trust in His guidance in spite of the circumstances encountered.
I want to remind you of the prophet Jeremiah’s question to a later generation of disobedient Israelites: “Is there no balm in Gilead?” (Jeremiah 8:22). This question was later popularized in the old hymn “There Is a Balm in Gilead” with the refrain that affirms:
“There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole; there is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin-sick soul.”
The balm that heals our sin sickness is to know and to obey the commandments and statutes that God has given us in His Scriptures. As we learn to trust the Word of God regardless of our circumstances and obey that Word in the midst of life’s trials and tests, we will come to know the “Lord who heals,” and we will learn to call Him Jehovah Rophe.0 -
Loving Your Enemies
But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. Luke 6:27-31, ESV
When our Australian Shepherd hears a funny sound or a word he isn’t sure about, he will *kitten* his head to the right. It’s almost like he is asking a question with his head rotation.
Similarly, there are times I open the Bible and read verses that make me rotate my head. The words and the messages are so surprising I have to wonder about them. Today’s passage is just such a passage. Jesus spoke these words to those living while He walked on this earth. They must have been perplexed by some of what He said as well.
Consider a few of these:
Love your enemies.
Do good to those who hurt you.
Bless those who curse you.
Pray for those who abuse you.
If someone strikes you on one cheek, offer the other as well.
If someone wants your coat, give them your shirt also.
These things are so foreign to the way we are bent, but they are so like our Jesus. He did all of the things while He was here on earth.
What if we made Jesus our role model today, no matter how weird His instructions may seem?
Prayer– Jesus, will you give me the courage and the strength to behave like You? You were and are such a great model. I want to be more like You. I don’t think it will be easy, so I ask for much grace.
Reflect – As you think about some of these challenging instructions from Jesus, which one is hardest for you? Which is easiest? Why?0 -
Oops posted in wrong thread, sorry0